So owning a rawland has scarred me a little as even though the fit wasnt right it was damn nice. Trying to decide what to replace it with that fit’s in the budget is tricky as I want(need) one bike to rule them all. And can’t decide what I want to compromise on.
Every second weekend I’m out riding XC cause I’m a pussy thats scared of my own shadow these days.
Currently two or 3 times a year I’ll do a multi nighter, plus another 2 or 3 gravel grinder days.
Essentially narrowed it down to a Salsa Fargo or a Jamis Dragon 650.
I’m leaning towards a Dragon with a swap out for rigid forks for touring but to get the nice low trail that the Drakkar had will need either a big rake, and/or a shorter fork which then gets messy with the rest of the geo.
I think I’m just talking out loud here and overthinking things like a clever muppet and looking for a good reason not to buy the dragon? Any alternatives that I should look at?
Get whatever bike will suit the riding you will do the most of - which sounds like XC, so I would go the Dragon.
Any other choices though? What is the budget? Would something like a niner emd9 or even an one-one inbred work? Plenty of room for the bike packing set ups?
I take it you’re looking at a complete rather than building something yourself.
The Dragon also has a tapered steerer fork so you either want a tapered steerer rigid fork (prolly carbon)
or a reducer crown converter for a steel fork. Hope do one of these.
i can’t do that without knowing how many Lumens my -10.6mm bottom bracket offset with 2" set-back will offer when i’m coasting down Sydney Rd Hill at noon every second Sunday, both with and without my centrelock hub engaged.
no ill-will intended;
i tried to encompass as many inane threads as i could, should’ve mentioned something about leather belts and carbon coat-hangers as well, but they didn’t come to mind when i posted.
Shakes,
Having previously been a OG Dragon owner, I would not buy the 650B Dragon unless I was able to go and take it for a loooong ride on on some gravel, not singletrack, gravel. Riding the old 26" on a Gravel Grinder was akin to dragging a wet carpet around for the day. A fun bike on the singletrack no doubt but heavy, cumbersome and slow as soon as it got anywhere near an even slightly smooth road.
Can’t get used to 29ers on the trails - spent a heap of time on a top end anthem, and a few others. If it was a pure bikepacking rig I couldn’t argue that though.
Fairly low spec, and somewhat horrible forkwise. Will wait for the next adj travel fork sale on crc. Rear mech is getting swapped straight to a clutchd XT. Torn wether to keep the double or not.
Fingers crossed my frame bag fit’s and the dry bag squeezes between my bars without effecting the shifters. Otherwise GDT at easter will be somebackpack action going on.
Here’s hoping that with some fast rolling XC tires and the slightly bigger diameter it isn’t as horrible on gravel as Dan says.
Reynolds 520 and essentially full deore. All the budget allowed for unfortunately. Been a while since I’ve had a new bike so pretty pumped anyway. Just picked up some fargo forks from MikeD. Will pick it up on the 15th of next month. Then straight to anglesea
